Derekous
by Pharies
Summary: This is a myth that I wrote for school. My teacher loved it and so I'm posting it. I used the real characters for it. It was just like writing FF for me, so it was easy. I hope you like Derek descovering something about himself.
1. Modern Times

Disclaim.

---

London, Ontario, Canada- April 19, 2008

George and Nora Venturi decided that it would be a good idea for the whole Macdonald-Venturi family to go to the museum for the day, due to the rain. After a lot of fighting from Casey and Derek, and chasing Marti around to get her ready in something black, a color she doesn't have a lot of, because today she wanted to wear black, the family was ready to go.

Once at the museum, Nora and George decided that they would take Marti, and the other children could split off from each other if they choose to. Lizzie and Edwin ended up leaving their older siblings about two minutes after their parents left, due to Casey and Derek fighting once again. Casey wanted to see the Medieval Times exhibit, but Derek wanted to see the Ancient Rome and Greek exhibits, for being a guy he is all about the gladiators and anything else testosterone oriented. They finally made a compromise: They would see the medieval exhibit first, and then get something to eat at the museum's cafeteria. After eating they would go see the Roman and Greek exhibits. Derek didn't like the fact that his choice in an exhibit was last, but he figured at least he'd enjoy some part of the day.

While walking through Casey's choice of exhibit, Derek started falling asleep while walking. He could do this due to Casey semi-dragging him along. Medieval times always bored him, so being so bored he was almost fully asleep didn't surprise him.

"Oh! Derek, look!" Casey exclaimed as she went up to a piece of art. "This painting depicts how the peasants lived their daily lives. Isn't it fascinating?"

"Casey, you are getting way to into this. I mean, honestly! Greek and Roman times are so much better. They where more civilized." Derek responded with eyes half-shut.

"Derek, you, of all people, are talking to me about civility?" Casey scoffed. "I mean you are not very civilized yourself so how can you say anything against the Renaissance?"

"Because it bores me, and Ancient Roman and Greek history is far more interesting." Derek replied. Many people think that he isn't very smart, but he reads up on things that he likes. For example, he could read all day about Ancient Greek and Roman times, but put something that has to do with England during the Renaissance, and he'll chuck it back you with so much force, you should duck or get hit so hard you get a concussion. "The medieval times were ten thousand steps back for civilization. Why would I enjoy anything about them?"

"Because during that time some of the greatest works of literature were written."

"Then you like the literature, not the times themselves. Are you done here yet? I mean I'm bored and hungry. I want to go to the Greek and Roman times as soon as possible. In fact, Spacey, if you want I'll leave you here, and I'll go spend the rest of the day in the exhibit I want to be in." and before Casey could respond Derek turned on his heal, and went to get some food so that he could then enjoy doing back to a half-way decent time.

Casey followed him. Once he was in the cafeteria, she tapped his shoulder, and said, "Derek, we have to stay together. I thought we agreed to go the exhibit I wanted to go to first, get food then go to your exhibit."

"Casey, we did. We went to your exhibit. Now we are going to get food, then we are going to my exhibit. And I thought you were the smart one." Derek ended sarcastically.

Casey huffed and pushed passed Derek. Both figured getting sandwiches and bottles sodas would be the best option, so that's what they did.

Once done with their food, they went to the Ancient Greece and Roman exhibit. The Roman exhibit was first, and Derek was completely fascinated by the Romans' architecture.

"Casey, isn't this fascinating?" Derek questioned. As he eyed a replica of the Roman structures. "I mean, honestly, I don't know how you like the Renaissance. All of those people were mindless and barbaric. The Romans and the Greeks were so much more interesting. I mean have you even seen the great architectural feats they've made? It's absolutely incredible."

"Derek, I've never seen you so eminent about something. I mean, you don't usually show interest in something that would prove you have a brain, and better yet, that it works."

"Ha. Ha. You are so funny." Derek said sarcastically. "Now, if you are just going to mock me and my interests, then just go away and let me examine the exhibit."

Casey grunted slightly as she walked passed Derek to a bench. "Come find me when you want to stop being a jerk, ok?"

"Whatever, Casey." Derek responded as he kept walking around the exhibit.

He couldn't help be stare in awe at the wonderful structures the Romans had come up with. Aqua ducts, the Colosseum and the wall around the empire, design features such as vaulted ceilings and arches. One plaque said 'The Romans built structures that we today would need greeter technology to build.' That plaque was in front of a model of what Ancient Rome was thought to have looked like.

Derek was about to make his way into the Greek exhibit, but then remembered that Casey was probably still sitting on that bench she left her at. He went back to the bench. She was sleep. He decided to just pick her up, and carry her to the Ancient Greece exhibit, which wasn't too far from the bench she had situated herself onto.

When he got to the divider between the two exhibits, he put her on her feet, and stood her up.

"Casey, wake up. You need to be awake for at least part of this exhibit."

"Hmm, wha?"

"Casey." Derek said more sternly as he slowly let go of her so that she would stand. Casey blinked, opened her eyes slowly, and then looked up at Derek sharply.

"Derek, why do you have your arm around my waist?" she tried to snap, but it didn't come out as harsh as she meant it, due to the fact of her still being partially asleep.

"Look around, Space Case. Don't you notice something different?"

"Yes, I'm standing next to you, with your arm wrapped around my waist instead of being on a bench being bored. Again I repeat why is your arm around my waist?" Casey said the last sentence making sure to pronounce each word precisely so that Derek was sure to understand.

Derek rolled his eyes, and looked at Casey saying, "Casey, if you haven't noticed, you are in a completely different exhibit. Oh, wait! You don't care about a better time period, so why would you bother to notice?" Derek asked sarcastically. "I carried you from the bench to here, the divider between the two. You had fallen asleep, and I wasn't about to let you just stay in an exhibit I was no longer looking at."

"Awe, Derek. That was so sweet of you."

"Don't get used to it." Derek responded, playing off the fact that he sort of cared about his stepsister.

Casey looked at him like he had grown another head, but said nothing. They walked into the exhibit.

Once inside Derek saw another model, but this one was of the Greek city-state, Athens. He looked at the replica with great interest. The Erechtheion, a temple for Athena, the Acropolis and there was even a stadium. Around the model were stands of information. One told about Athenian economy: 'Athenians were sea traders mostly. This was due to unfertile land and being relatively close to the sea.' Some gave bits of information about certain structures, for example: 'Stadiums were first built by the Greeks, though today they are larger and used for different types of entertainment compared to the stadiums of Ancient Greece.'

Casey had to pull Derek away from the model. She was getting somewhat bored, but she did find a few interesting things, not that she would tell Derek that. She really wanted to just go home. She really didn't care much for history, mostly because it wasn't something that interested her greatly. She was more of an English major, so she was starting to go slightly insane. Sure there were some interesting things here, but not enough to keep her from going completely out of her mind.

"Derek, can we go meet up with Mom and George now? I'm getting kind of bored."

"Relax, Space Case. We're almost at the end of the exhibit. You can last that long, I'm sure."

"Ugh! Fine. I'll go through the rest of this."

She stopped dead when she saw a painting out of the corner of her eye that didn't look at all like any Greek paintings she'd ever seen. It was done more like an Italian painting done during the time of the Renaissance. It caught her eye, so she turned to look at it a little closer, and stopped dead in her tracks as her jaw went slack and her eyes widened.

"Derek!"

"What now, Casey?"

"Come over here and look at this. You're not going to believe your eyes. I know I don't believe mine."

"What are you-" he stopped mid-sentence as he caught sight of the painting she was looking at.

It wasn't the fact that it was different from Greek paintings. The figure in the painting was what seemed to be some sort of soldier. He was in armor and there was a spear in his left hand, his right foot was one top of his helmet, and a shield was over his right arm. His face held a serious expression, most likely typical of a soldier from those times. But it wasn't the normal seriousness you'd see on someone's face. It was that of someone what has lost so much, but done so many things he didn't want to do. He had to do these things, like be in a war he didn't want to be in, so there he stands, spear and shield in hand, with a face that speaks more words then any normal picture. '_What is he hiding?_' Derek thinks. '_Why does he have that look of despair on his face?_'

It was Casey who says something after studying the painting. "He looks a lot like you, but in armor."

"It says here that he is a Spartan soldier, who fought bravely in many wars, and that he defeated some sort of creature to save Athens. His name was…" Derek can't finish what he was reading. It shocked him way too much.

Casey read the last word of the sentence, "Derekous."

---

This is just the beginning. I had to do a myth project, and I finally got around to putting it up. I used Life with Derek because it was easy for me. Hope you enjoy it. My teacher did. I got the only perfect score.

~Tori


	2. The Story

Disclaim.

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Sparta, Greece – 9 of what would become March 483 BCE

Derekous is a Spartan soldier. He grew up with his mother in Sparta, but as all male Spartans live, he was only with her for the first seven years of his life. He never knew his father, because both were always away, but one day he got a letter from his mom telling him that his dad left a note saying he was going to Athens, but that was six years ago, and Derekous doesn't know what happened to him. According to his mother, his father ran away to Athens because he hated being in the military so much. He was more of a free thinker, and wanted to do something in science, which Sparta wasn't too keen on. So he ran away, and Derekous' mother, Abigailia, never saw him again. After having three children, two boys and one girl, his dad left, and he has a problem with that. Martia and Edious were only two and seven, respectively, when their dad left, and they don't really remember what he looked like. Better yet, they don't even know who he really was. Derekous is the only one who has some idea of who he is.

He's sixteen now, and his brother and he have been both been in training since they were seven. Derek doesn't mind. He's old enough now to fight in combat, and will be soon. He's the best fighter of his age. And he's been going through more training. Sparta is going to attack Athens soon, but he doesn't want that. It's mostly to do with his father. He doesn't want any reminders of him, and he doesn't want Edious asking questions, for he surely remembers their father, if only a little bit.

'_Why does Sparta have to be the polis to force Athens to fight along-side the rest of the city-states?' _ Derekous questions to himself. '_Oh, right. Because we are a stronger military polis, that's why_.'

---


	3. The Girl

Athens, Greece – 23 March 483 BCE

Derekous was in Athens when he saw her. She had long chocolate brown hair and her body was thin. She was walking gracefully through the square, carrying a basket, and seemed to be making her way to…well in actuality, Derekous didn't know where she was headed. She was as beautiful as one of the goddesses, though. Truly perfect, and he had to meet her somehow. The only problem was he came from Sparta, and was invading her city. '_How should I introduce myself?_' Derekous wonders to himself.

When the young woman he was looking at spotted him, she dropped her basket of food from the market. He rushed to help her, even though he probably shouldn't have.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

"Um…yes, but…it's just that…well…I wasn't…" she stammered as she picked up her market goods.

"Ok, I'll take that as a no." Derekous says while laughing lightly. She looked up, and he found himself looking into large pools of deep blue. '_Wow, her eyes are gorgeous_,' he thought.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little confused as to why a Spartan soldier was looking at me in such a way."

"Maybe because this Spartan soldier doesn't always follow the rules, and is now helping a young Athenian woman pick up her market goods."

"Well, maybe this Athenian woman doesn't want the help of a Spartan soldier. This young woman can manage just fine on her own."

"Well, if you don't mind me asking, what is your name? I think that saying 'Athenian woman' is getting old fast."

"You may not know my name. For if you know my name, you will power over me that I do not wish you to have."

"Ok, well, miss, I am Derekous. I will not withhold that information because I have no problem giving up power to a beautiful girl like yourself."

"Well, Derekous, I don't really care about having power over you. Now if you don't mind, I must be going. I have many things to do, and talking to you is putting me behind schedule." And without another word, she was gone. Derekous watched as she walked away. '_Why does she intrigue me so?_' he wondered as he walked away from the spot she had dropped her market goods.

---

Athens, Greece – 29 March 483 BCE

Derekous was walking with his brother when he saw her again. It had been almost a week since he had first seen her, and hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. What's her name? Why was she so curt? Is she always like that? All these questions, and more, have been flowing through his mind all week.

She had someone with her: another girl. Her companion looked younger then the unknown girl. They both looked like they were trying to hold back laughter as they spoke. Derekous knew that he wanted to know the girl he met last week more, and he would have to know her name. That would be a good start. After he made the decision, he started dragging his brother over to where the girls where. His brother didn't seem to need too much dragging, though. Edious seemed to gravitate toward the girls.

When the girls spotted the boys coming toward them, the unknown girl gasped and started mumbling under her breath. The younger one looked at Derekous first, and then at his brother. The two looked gazes as their jaws went slack.

"I'm Elia," the young girl said holding out her hand.

"I'm Edious. Call me Edi." Edious responded bowing slightly as he took her hand and kissed the knuckle. Their gaze into each other's eyes never wavered during the whole introduction.

"Call me Lia," she responded. Then, as if coming out of a ravine, she said, "This is my sister, Ca-" The unknown girl put her hand over Elia's mouth and gave her a look.

She said, "Elia, this is Derekous, the Spartan soldier I told you about," in a whisper, pointing to Derekous, who was standing behind his brother. Elia made an 'O' with her mouth in understanding.

The unknown girl looked down and realized that she had dropped her basket, once again, but for a different reason. She didn't want Derekous knowing her name.

Derekous caught sight of what she was acknowledging. He stepped around Edious as she bent down to pick up her goods. So there he was, once again, helping her pick up food off the cobblestone, and she couldn't help but blush. He noticed this, but said nothing. Both knew that this happened a week ago, but didn't know what to say to each other now because it was different this time. They both knew that they were attracted to the other, but at the same time they really didn't want to be. They couldn't help it though. They both knew something was there. It wouldn't work out though. He was a Spartan, and she was an Athenian. It would be them against society.

Edious looked at his brother raised an eyebrow, then decided to question Derekous later about the transaction. He turned his attention back to Elia, and noticed that she was looking the two as well. He simply stated, "Derekous is brother."

"I can see a slight resemblance, but it's not much," she responded, trying to keep the conversation going. "Both of you are Spartan soldiers?"

"Yes, but neither one of us wanted that. We must serve Sparta. All men must, and their training starts at age seven. Both of us want to get out, but we can't. We have nowhere to go."

"You have to serve? You have no choice in it?"

"No, but if we did we wouldn't be serving, I can tell you that." Edious said, sighing.

"Oh. What would you…" she let the words she was about to say drop at the sound of her sister's voice.

"Lia, I need to talk to Derekous, could you go back to the house and tell mother that I'll be home a little later. Please?"

"Sure, Ca-" Elia stopped, remembering that her sister didn't want them knowing her name. "I'll tell mom. Don't worry."

"Thank you." The unknown girl responded, having double meaning behind her words.

"No problem. Edi, would you like to walk me home?"

"It would be my pleasure, Miss. Lia," he said and the two walked away.

After the siblings were out of ear shot Derekous asked, "So what do you want to talk about? I mean I can't know your name, so what's the point of talking?"

"Because if I don't talk to you, I can't know what in the world is going on with me, or why we keep seeing each other. It's only been a week, and almost the same scene has us back to each other. I need to know why."

'_Maybe because we are attracted to each other, and can't help it, or maybe it's because we have to be in each other's lives somehow._' Derekous thought. He decided to go with saying, "Maybe we need to actually talk to each other instead of the quick not too helpful conversation we had last week," instead of his real thoughts.

"That was the plan, or well my thoughts anyways."

"So I sort of read your thoughts then?"

"Whatever you want to think it was, Derekous. Come with me. I know somewhere we can go to talk."

She leads him to spot in the woods not far from where they were. It is clear of most trees, and it is perfect to just sit and talk.

"Derekous, are you willing to give me time?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will you give me time to get to know you a little bit before I tell you my name?"

"Yes," is his very simple answer, and she smiles.

---

Athens, Greece – 10 April 483 BCE

Derekous is with the unknown girl. "Will I ever learn your name?" Derekous asks. It's been nearly three weeks since their first encounter and yet she still keeps her name a secret.

"In due time, you may. I still don't fully trust you," she replies.

"Why not? Have I not proven my love for you?"

"So, you love me, Derekous?"

"With all my heart, forever. My soul will find yours until you return my love."

"What if it already does?" she asks a virtually inaudible whisper. He almost didn't catch what she said.

"If you love me, then why can't I know your name? I want to be able to proclaim my love you and I can't do that if I don't know your name," he says gently.

"We have yet to so much as kiss, so how can I know what you say is true? How can you know you love me so much?"

"Because I feel like I've known you forever, and forever more I will love you. My flaws are your perfections, and your weaknesses are my strengths. I don't have to kiss you, my sweet, to know that we are meant to be together. All my hand ever has to do is touch your arm, and my body is on fire. Those are the ways I know that I love you, and that I will forever."

She is almost crying at how honest he is being with her. She can feel the tears starting to form behind her eyes. "I still question you, Derekous. Not as much as I did when we first met, but I also feel mush the same as you. It's like I have known you so much longer then these three weeks. You may know my name, but you must give me time. I need to know that I can trust you."

"I know so much about you, but at the same time I know nothing. You are the one person I can't figure out as easily as others. I will give you the time you need, because I need time as well. I want to figure you out a little bit more."

"Thank you, Derekous. That is all I need form you. It is all I ever asked of you. Tell me what you know about me?" she questioned. "We never have much time together, so I wonder what you do know."

"Ok, fair enough. You have a sister, whose name is Elia. You live with her, your mother, and your mother's late husband. You can't stand him due to the fact that you feel your mother is trying to replace your father, who died when you were young. You care deeply for those close to you.

"You like blue, and for some unknown reason you always have some sort of food with you. You are intelligent, but can't show it because people don't believe that women should know anything besides how to run a home. You are very stubborn with that though. You want to show what you are capable of.

"And, although you love your city-state, you want to get away."

"I trust that you listen well to what I say. I was testing you, Derekous. I wanted to see how well you truly listened to me. I will tell you my name, and the names of the members of my family. It is only fair for you to know now, is it not?"

"It is fair, I do suppose."

"My name is Casea-" she was cut off by him saying, "How beautiful. It is very fitting for you."

She blushes, and says, "Thank you. Now may I continue? We have a limited amount of time, even now."

"Yes. I'm sorry. Continue."

"Thank you. My mother's name is Noria, and my step-father is Gero."

Laughing Derekous says, "I hate your step-father already."

"And why is that? Are my feelings toward him influencing what you think of him?"

"That has nothing to do with it, Casea. Gero is my father's name. He is the reason I can't…never mind. All you need to know is that he walked out on my family when I was about ten, leaving my mother to take care of Martia by herself. Edious had just left for training. Sometimes I think that he left after Edious went to camp on purpose, as if trying to save my mother too much burden. When he left Sparta, he came here, to Athens, and I wonder when Edious will ask about our father, or even if he'll bother."

"Edious seems to have taken to Elia. They are well together. My mom lets her go into town to meet him. I think that she sees how happy he makes my sister, and so she does not object to them seeing each other. I don't think my mom knows that he is a Spartan soldier though. She may have had a problem with that."

---

I hope you are enjoying this. I had a really good time writing it. Pay attention to dates though, if you haven't already. It's important that you pay attention.

~Tori


	4. The Creature

Disclaim.

---

A small city outside of Athens, very close to the coast, the 13 April 483 BCE morning-

A fisherman is docking his boat ready to unload what he's caught today to sell in the market. He turns to look out at the sea, and sees something that isn't usually there. It's a large spot of darkness, showing that there is something underneath the water. All he knows is that it's big, but he doesn't know how large it really is.

The dark spot disappears from sight. The fisherman figures it was just a figment of his imagination, since he only saw it for a second.

Suddenly, his boat shook. He almost fell into the water, but caught himself on the rail of his boat. He looked into the water, and saw the dark spot; this time he was sure that it his wasn't imagining it. It was even bigger then he could have even thought. It shrank as it sank deep into the blue depths.

He sees it again, but it's about ten feet from where his boat sits on the water to the beginning of the dark area in the water. He wants to know what it is that is there, but instantly regrets that curiosity.

"Run!" He screams as he turns to hop off of his ship onto the dock.

People turned to him to see what he was talking about, but started running just like he said. Behind the fisherman, a creature is emerging from the sea. They don't know what it is, but they do know what it can't be safe, so they run as fast as they can from it.

The sea creature, or the Sea Demon, as some refer to it, was only about ten feet wide, and ten feet high, but it is twenty feet long, due to its tail, taking half of the creature's length. This creature had the head and hind legs of a frog, the torso of a fish, and the tail of a crocodile. It had four tentacles instead of two arms.

Once on land, the creature started hopping round, destroying all in its wake. If it stopped, it was only to swish its tail. One flick of the tail proves to be harmful to whoever gets caught in its path.

---


	5. My Father

Athens, Greece- 13 April 483 BCE

Derekous was meant to have met Casea in their spot in the woods, but he decided to surprise her, and stay in the square. He saw Casea making her way toward him, and he smiled.

"Casea?" he said only loud enough so that she could hear him.

"What are you doing here? I thought we were to meet in the woods," she says, confusion lacing her words.

"I thought we could meet here instead. Is that okay?"

"Yes, but it…well I wasn't expecting it. I was going to just ask you if you would like to meet my mother today."

"I would like that. I only know your sister, so knowing another person in your family would be good."

"Oh, good," she sighed.

She leads him to her small house on the other side of town. They talk as much as they can in the fifteen-minute period between the square and her home. She is laughing a light laugh at something he's telling her. He can't help but smile when she's laughing like that, let alone smiling.

Once at her house, she tells him to stay outside for a half beat of the sun. She must talk to her mother quickly. A short conversation with her mother lets Derekous into the small home on the outskirts of Athens.

"Mother, this is Derekous. This is my mother. I don't know what she would want you to call her really," Casea introduces.

"Nice to meet you, Derekous. Just call me Noria," her mother says, holding out her hand.

"Likewise, ma'ma," he says taking her hand, and kissing the knuckle.

"You must meet my husband, Gero," she tells him as she lets her hand drop to her side. Before Derekous can object she calls, "Gero?" into the house.

"Yes, dear?"

"Could you come up here for a little while?"

"I'll be up in a minute," he says. You can hear him putting away whatever he's working on. He comes up the stairs, and stops dead.

"Gero, this is Derekous. Casea and he have been talking for the past three weeks. He has finally come to grace us with his presence.

"So, he's finally come to find me?" he whispers to himself. "Derekous, it's been a long time."

Derekous had been shocked to find out that he vaguely recognized the man standing in front of him. That was, until he said '_It's been a long time._' That echoed through Derekous's mind until Casea, finally said, "Are you okay?"

"No. No, I am not ok," he says to her.

"Well, what's wrong?" she asks him gently.

"Your mother's husband is my father," he said to her simply.

Both Casea and her mother gasped in shock. Neither one of them expected that.

"I have to go," Derekous says suddenly. He shows no emotion, and that scares Casea. She's known him to wear his heart on his sleeve.

"Derekous, wait." Gero states putting a hand on his son's shoulder, "We need to talk."

"I have nothing to talk to you about. You left our family," he says turning around to face his father, "after Edi left for training. Did you do that on purpose? Where you trying to protect my mother?"

"What did your mother tell you?" Gero groans. "I left because of her. She wanted me gone. It was best for me to leave after Edi left instead of while he was there. After he left, I left too. Abigailia and I had decided that I wouldn't leave until your brother had. It was up to me when I wanted to leave after he left for training. So I wrote a note saying that I was going to Athens, and that I'd keep in touch. She knew why I was leaving, but apparently she never told you the true reason."

"I don't care about that why didn't you tell us you were leaving? Maybe we wanted to say goodbye. Did you not want to say good bye to us?" Derekous asks looking a little hurt. '_Gero, you are the reason that I can't trust those I care about. Well, at least not fully,_' he thinks.

"I left letters for each of you explaining everything on my side of the story. I wrote to you, my eldest son, knowing that you could understand everything more, then your little brother and sister. In those letters, I wrote of my marriage to Noria, and about her daughters. I told about the things that I've come up with. I told you how much I missed you and your younger siblings," Gero explains, trying to get Derekous to understand.

"Why didn't mom tell us? Why didn't she bother to try and tell me about this? Or give me the letters?"

"That I do not know. Your mother is a very strange person that way."

"Dad, I wish you never left." Derekous says to his father. "I cried when I found out," he said in a low whisper.

"I'm sorry you never got my goodbye."

"I am too. It made it hard for me to trust people. I trust them, but not the way I should be able to. I don't want them to leave like you did."

"Derekous, I never left you. I left your mother, and I tried to keep contact with you, but I guess Abigailia doesn't want that. I never truly left you. I care for you too much to do that. And I see that you still tell me more then you tell your mother."

"Well, how could I not? You are my father. You should be the easier one for me to talk to." Derekous smiles at his father a little.

"Derekous?" Casea says, wanting to know what's going to happen between them.

"Yes, Casea?" he answers looking at her.

"Are you going to be ok?"

"Yes. And so will we," answering her unasked question.

---


	6. The Fight

Disclaim.

---

Athens, Greece- 15 April 438 BCE

Word of this demon from the sea reached Athens, and had everyone in a frenzy. No one knew what to do about it, or what he or she should do in general. Should they run? Should they just hide? Was it going to come to Athens? Did it need water? It was creature of the sea, so it needs water, right?

Derekous' camp was outside of Athens, but he heard about the creature as well. He didn't want to think about it coming to Athens. '_What would happen if it took Casea away from me? Would I go after it? Probably. That thing is going to have to die some day, and I will have to protect her._' He thought as he and his brother walked toward Athens.

"Should we try and kill it, Derekous?" Edious asked his older brother.

"If we were to kill that sea demon, we would save many lives. Maybe we could get some of our fellow soldiers to help us kill it."

"Maybe." Edious spotted the girls by in the middle of the market square, "There's the girls."

"Don't breathe a word of anything to them. They probably know about the creature, but they don't have to know that we plan to kill it."

"Right."

They walked up to the girls, and said their greetings. Edious and Elia left to go through the market. Derekous and Casea went to their spot in the woods, where they always go.

"I have a short amount of time today," Derekous said to Casea.

"I need to go to market then, so after you leave I am doing that. I will tell Edious that he needs to leave as well then," she responds.

"That's good. So what is on your mind today?"

"That creature. Do you think it will come to Athens?"

"I don't think so, but I don't want you going anywhere near that town. I don't want to lose you."

"I don't plan on going anywhere near where it may be."

"I sure would hope not. That might prove to be incredibly dangerous."

"Derekous, if it is so dangerous, then I must ask you to promise me something."

"I can't promise some things but I can promise to do my best to please you."

"Derekous, you must promise me you will not go after the creature. I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you either, Casea, but I can't promise that. Edious and I have already decided to go and kill the creature. We want to keep everyone safe from harm. Why lose many lives, when you only have to lose a few soldiers who would have probably died in war anyways?"

"If you are going to fight this thing, you are not to go without me, do you hear me? I am going to go with you."

"No," Derekous says while shaking his head. "No, you are not going. You are to stay here and be safe."

"I am not going to let you go without me. If I go with, then I can know immediately whether or not you die trying to kill this thing."

"You are not going with and that is final. Now, I must be going. I will meet you tomorrow morning to say goodbye. Meet me in the square at dawn."

"Fine. You will regret your decision to make me stay here, Derekous." Casea says to him as she moves forward to give him a hug. '_I am going with you, whether you like it, or not. I will find a way to not let you leave without me, Derekous,_' she thought as he wrapped his arms around her thin form.

---

Dawn- 16 April 483 BCE

Derekous and Edious met Casea and Elia in Athens's square. Elia thought that she was just meeting with Edious again today, but she is going to learn a part of the truth shortly.

"Elia, I must leave. I will be back as soon as I am able."

"Edious, you mustn't leave. You need to be here with me," she shouts as he pulls her close to him. She starts to cry, and the older two decide that it would be best to just leave them by themselves for now.

"Derekous, must you really go? I mean how did you get anyone to go with you so fast? Honestly."

"Yes, I must go. I am the leader of this group. You'd be surprised how willingly most of my fellow soldiers are to leave Athens, and go do something more useful. It only took a short amount of time to get about fifteen men to follow me. Many others joined throughout yesterday, and so us moving against the creature should be easy. I will be back, do not worry."

"How can you say that?" she screams at him, on the verge of tears.

"Because I want you to have hope and faith in your goddess that I will be back. Just take offerings to her, and that will ensure that I will be back."

Casea starts to cry, and through her tears she says, "Derekous, I will never forgive you if you die. Do you understand me? Go if you must, but I will not forgive you if you die." She turns and walks back to her sister. "Lia, we must go home now before mother wakes."

"I don't want him to go, Case. I want him to stay here, where I know he is safe," Elia whispers to her sister.

"I don't want Derekous to go without me, either. I am going anyways. I am following his group of soldiers, and making sure that he and Edious stay safe," Casea whispers back to her sister.

"Take me with you, Casea. I want to go. I want to help keep them safe. Please?"

"I would like the company. Yes, go with me. We will tell mother that we want to go to the next town over inland, not toward the sea. I will tell her that we just want to be a little further away from the sea. She will understand."

"Ok, that works. Let's go home now."

The girls walked away from the boys, and neither boy knew the plans of that Casea had planned.

--

Derekous and Edious got back to their camp, and saw all of the men they had gathered ready to start the day's journey to the town near the sea.

"Edious, I don't know if we can really pull this off. Hopefully with the help we have, this creature will be slain," he whispered to his brother. He didn't want the other men to hear what he said. Addressing the men in front of him, with the support of the generals behind him, he said, "Let us leave Athens to kill this creature. Although Athens is not an ally of Sparta, it is a Greek polis, and it is our duty as warriors to protect the area we are in, and its people." Cheers came from the crowd in front of him, and the military leaders behind him nodded approvingly. They knew the strength Derekous had within him, and they planned on letting him learn how to lead a large group of men. They see him leading well, and they see him leading many more people.

The lead general clapped his hand on Derekous's shoulder, and said to him, "You will lead well, Derekous. You are strong, and the men respect you. You know that, and you also know what is right, and you do what you have to do to get things done. We are proud of you, and we bless you in the name of our gods that you succeed. We will be with you, but this is your test to see how well you lead. We know you will do well, though."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your words. I must get these men going, or else it will be too late."

"Yes. Lead them to the small city-state, Derekous. Defeat this creature. You are very brave."

"Again, I thank you, sir," he responded to his commander. "Let us go now, before it is too late," Derekous said to the crowd. Sword in the sheath on his hip, Derekous put his helmet on, and took his spear and shield from his brother. He turned and started walking, his sign for the soldiers to follow him. His brother was at his left flank and his best friend, Samothrace, at his right.

"Derekous, do you think that we will beat the Sea Demon?" his old friend asks.

"Yes, in fact I do. With as many people following us as we have, we are bound to seriously injure the creature."

Samothrace said nothing in response. He didn't know the real reason Derekous was doing something so brain missing, but it must be good. He wasn't usually one to cause harm unless necessary.

The soldiers didn't stop until nightfall to rest right outside of the town. They set up their camp, and held a short meeting about who they would get the creature on land. Derekous ordered, "Go to sleep as fast you're body let's you. We wake early to get this creature."

Casea heard his order from her hiding place with her sister.

"We must help them, Elia," Casea said to her sister.

"How? What can we do as two girls? We will just get in the way," Elia responds.

"We will be the ones to get the Sea Demon onto land, that's how."

"Casea, that is more dangerous…Casea, are you talking about the creature that attacked the town?"

"Yes, in fact I am. Derekous got many of the soldiers to follow him to help kill that evil thing."

"So we are going to help them get it onto land?"

"Yes. That is exactly what we are going to do. Now, get some sleep. We will need our strength for tomorrow."

Casea stayed up for a little longer to make sure that the fire they had lit was put out, and to make sure that her sister was asleep. After doing both of those things, she went and fell asleep herself.

---

The woods near a small town outside of Athens, Greece, two hours past dawn- 17 April 483 BCE

Casea wakes to see that Derekous and his fellow soldiers have left to go into town. She wakes Elia quickly and they head toward the town.

Once in town, Casea spots Derekous and sees that he is going incredibly close to the sea.

"Derekous!" she screams as loudly as she can. He turns around upon hearing her voice. His eyes are wide, and he runs toward her.

"Casea, what in Hades name are you doing here? I told you to stay in Athens."

"I don't care what you said. I wanted to help, and I plan on helping as much as I can."

"Case, you need to go into the woods, and not come out until either myself or one of the soldiers comes to get you, do you understand?"

"Derekous, I am helping you. I came out here for a reason, and I don't plan on hiding. Do you…" she trails off as her eyes go wide in fear. "Holy Zeus," she says.

Derekous turns around, and says, directing his words to the soldiers, "Get ready to fight!" He turns back to Casea, and says, "If you care about what happens to you, run into the woods, and hide. Go. Now. Please?"

"I am not going to go back to the woods. I am staying right here."

"I can't fight with you on this. I have to go and fight now. Please, Casea?"

"I am staying right here."

Derekous couldn't waste any more time. He had to leave her there to fight the Sea Demon. He kissed her forehead quickly, and then turned to run and fight.

'_So she is the reason._' Samothrace thought.

His brother threw his helmet at him and he caught it with ease. He grabbed his spear and shield, as he ran toward the creature.

'_This thing is truly hideous._' Derekous thinks while running toward the creature.

"Rawr!" the creature screams.

A hundred men were already surrounding the creature. It hopped once, killing nearly a fourth of them. The remaining men started stabbing it with their swords. It screamed again, this time in pain. More men surrounded the Sea Demon. It twitched its tail, twenty men, easily, were dead. Casea watched in horror as the creature killed so many with so little effort. It was like it wasn't even trying.

It looked at her. She froze. '_Maybe if I don't move, it won't really see me,_' she thinks to herself, trying very hard to move as little as possible, due to breathing.

It hopped toward her, and that didn't go unnoticed by Derekous.

"No!' he shouted at it. He throws his spear at its tentacles. He unsheathes his sword, and stabbed it in the right foot. It screams out in pain. Some of the men who had backed away from the creature when it was hopping around moved closer to it. The ones who were close enough started stabbing the beast in the legs and feet. It screamed again.

Its gaze went back to Casea. Its eyes were pleading. She couldn't look away. '_I don't think it's trying to harm anyone,_' she thought. '_It just wanted something, but what?_'

"Stop!" she screamed as loud as she could. Derekous looked at her with a questioning look on his face. "Stop hurting it. Let me try to talk to it, or something. I don't think it wants to intentionally harm us."

"Casea, what are you talking about? It was hopping around killing people."

"But you guys attacked it. I think that it was just trying to get away from the pain. I'm coming over there, and I'm going to try and communicate with it."

"Casea, no. You will stay there."

"No, I am going to communicate with it," she said as she started stepping forward.

The creature tried to hop lower then it was in order to not kill anyone. It was as if it understood what Derekous and Casea were talking about.

Casea stepped a little closer, the creature took a small hop. Derekous didn't trust it. He kept behind it ready to strike at any time. His soldiers felt the same he assumed due to the fact that they were following him behind the creature.

Casea stopped about the creature's width away. Derekous moved from behind the creature to next to Casea. The warriors settled around the creature in a circle as best as they could. Keeping their distance, but close enough that they didn't have to waste too much energy on moving to strike the so-called Sea Demon.

The creature put its tentacle down in the ground in front of Casea, who reached forward to touch it. Images flashed before Casea's eyes. She closed her eyes so that she could concentrate better on the images flashing before her. Then, as suddenly as they had begun, they stopped.

"It was put to sleep many years ago by a force it does not know. It was thought to have been evil then. It has just woken from the deep depths of the sea. It wanted sunlight, but then people started screaming and running around. It couldn't get anyone to stop to look at it before they ran away. It doesn't mean to scare people. Derekous, help it."

"Casea, I don't know. I mean what did it do to you?"

"It showed me what it wanted to say. It can't speak."

"Okay?" Derekous asked skeptically.

Without notice, the tentacle that Casea had reached out to touch wrapped around her wrist and yanked her upward.

"Casea, I told you!" Derekous yelled to her. All around him, men were attacking the creature. It was still injured from the first battle, but it wasn't hopping around them in high leaps. It was hopping low to the ground, as to help keep people alive. As the soldiers attacked, it was losing chunks of meat from its body.

It sent more images to play in front of Casea's eyes. She closed her eyes, and absorbed what was being played. But that's just what it was: a play. The creature was manipulating her mind to see what it wanted her to see. What she saw before was true, but she wasn't seeing the whole truth either. The creature captured beautiful young women from the cities by the sea. He kept them as his trophies, and never let them go. They would die by drowning and stay with him forever.

"Casea!" Derekous screams as he plunges his sword into the beast tentacle that is holding Casea. '_I can't let her go. I will find her, no matter what. Take her to the bottom of that great sea, and I will follow you, beast._' His thoughts drowned out the sound of the beast screeching in pain. Samothrace stabbed the creature up through the rib cage. It wailed in pain. Casea tried to cover her ears, but couldn't efficiently due to being help up by one of her arms. Derekous pulled the sword out, and looked at the wound. It was large, but the creature didn't let go of Casea, so in the sword was plunged once more. The creature was in pain once again, but it didn't let go of her.

The creature took a chance and leaped high into the air trying to get passed all of the men around. It landed clear of the men, and was still holding onto Casea. It started taking its low leaps once again, but toward the sea instead.

The men were trying to catch the beast before it went into the sea. Derekous had started running toward the sea while the demon was in the air. He was only a few paces behind his tail, so he thought that he would catch it in the tail with one more blow, and at least stall it from taking her into the water. Derekous stabbed his sword into the creature's tail with as much force as he could. It screeched high, and he realized that he had hit it at such an angle to half cut off the tip of the tail. He sliced the rest of the tip off, but even though the creature was in pain it kept going, wanting to be in the water, and to have taken his trophy down to the deep depths of the sea.

At the water's edge, Derekous once again plunged his sword into the demon. He wanted to save Casea so badly, but it was like the gods didn't want that. He swam out a little toward where the beast was sinking. He dived into the water, and swam until he hit the creature. He tried to hit it in the head with his fists, but it was not working. He needed air. He could feel the burning sensation starting to form from lack of oxygen. He tried one more time to get Casea, but he needed air.

When he broke the surface, he gasped in breath. Once he had replenished his oxygen supply, he dove back into the water going as deep as he could. He saw the demon through clouded vision, but kept swimming toward it. Something was floating up to him, and he didn't know what it was. Hair flowed from one end, but it looked lifeless. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes, he could see that it was Casea. He swam the rest of the way to meet her. He gathered her into his arms and headed for the surface, kicking his feet with all his might. He broke surface, but kept kicking his feet so that he could go to land faster. Once he felt his feet hit the sand bottom, he stopped kicking and stared walking toward the shore.

When he got the coast, his fellow soldiers where they were waiting for him. He couldn't look at them. There was such a small amount of them left that he didn't know if he could handle finding out how many had died trying to slaughter the demon of the sea.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see which person touched him. It was Samothrace, his best friend and Edious was behind him with Elia.

Derekous wanted to cry looking at her. Casea was her older sister, and she didn't seem to be alive. Elia would have no female role model to look up to anymore if her sister was in fact dead.

"Lia, I'm so sorry. I tried so hard to get her back. It looks like the gods were just not in my favor. I wish I had fought harder…" he dropped his sentence when Elia looked at him with sad eyes, but she showed no remorse. She wanted Derekous to not be so hard on himself, but it wouldn't work out well if she just told him that.

"We are leaving now. I want to get back to Athens by early morning. And I want to get as far away from here as I can at the moment," he said suddenly after a five minute silence.

"Derekous, that's ridiculous," Samothrace exclaimed. "We need to rest before we make that kind of journey."

"I am not going to be able to sleep. All of you, who need rest, rest now. Those of you, who want to walk with me back to Athens, walk now with me. I am going to take her home. Samothrace, if you want to stay here, then stay and be in charge of the ones who stay behind."

Elia and Edious followed Derekous toward the woods immediately. No one wanted to really try to rest until they knew that they were truly safe.

---


	7. Goodbyes

Disclaim.

---

Athens, Greece- 19 April 483 BCE

Derekous, Edious, Elia, Samothrace, and the rest of the remaining soldiers walked into Athens seven hours after dawn. Derekous ignored everything around him. He had a goal and he wasn't going to stop until that goal was met. He had to take Casea home to her mom and his dad. Her sister was crying silently behind him, and Edious had his arm around her.

Derekous stopped once he reached her house. Elia stepped in front of him and opened the door.

"Casea? Elia?" Noria asked from the chair she was sitting on.

"Yes, Mom. I'm home."

"Where's Casea?" she asked worriedly.

"Right here, Noria," Derekous answered.

"What in the name of Zeus are you doing here, carrying my daughter, who…"she trailed off as she noticed how limp her daughter really looked.

"With all my respects to you and the gods, I would like to bury her in a spot that she liked to go to in the woods, if that's okay with you."

"That would be perfectly fine," Noria said trying to keep calm. She was very close to tears.

"Thank you," Derekous says, trying hard as well not to break down.

"No, thank you, Derekous. Could I say goodbye to her before you take her away?"

"Of course. Why don't you come with the put her completely at peace?"

"I wouldn't be able to handle that. I would, though, if I could handle it."

Elia was still sobbing into Edious's shoulder, but she planned on going to put her sister at rest. She had already broken down, so why hide it now, right?

Derekous held Casea the whole time her mother was saying her goodbyes. When she had finished, he readjusted, and then walked out of the small home for the last time.

Elia still had Edious's arm around her as they followed behind Derekous to the spot in the woods. He walked briskly, but carried her with great care.

Once at that spot, he laid her down, kissed her forehead and then turned to Elia. "Say your goodbyes to her, then leave with my brother. I am not leaving her," he stated simply before he turned and walked a small ways away from the spot he had put her down.

Elia knelt, bent over her sister, and whispered, "Goodbye," in her ear. She then kissed Casea's forehead before she got up off her knees. She didn't want to be there too long, and she couldn't bare looking at her sister anymore. It just hurt too much.

Derekous walked back into the clearing, "Are you done? I could give you more time."

"No. I'm done. It hurts to know that she's gone. And I don't want to be here longer then I have to."

"Alright," looking at her like she should have said more but didn't push it. He turned to his brother, "Take care of her. And you won't be seeing me after this. I am leaving Athens, so I say goodbye to you, Edious. Know that I love you."

"Derekous, where are you going? I want to come with."

Derekous looked at Casea. "No, Edious. I don't want you coming with me. I must go by myself. Come back here in three days time, and you will see why."

Elia pulled on Edious's arm and led him away from the clearing. It was dusk, and she wanted to get home before the sun completely set.

Derekous lay down next to Casea, pulled her close, and got comfortable. He would never leave this spot.

Derekous slept well that night. She was in his arms, and he couldn't have been happier.

---


	8. Reality

Disclaim.

---

London, Ontario, Canada- April 19, 2008

"Derekous lived, Casey. He was real, but he didn't really defeat the sea monster."

"Derek, what are you talking about? You like spaced out for a really long time. What happened?"

"I saw the past. It was like you said his name, and then my mind went back in time. I saw bits and pieces of what happened. I saw and felt how he fell in love. I saw the creature though his eyes. Casey, it was incredible. The girl he fell in love with and her sister were his stepsiblings but he didn't know it until he went to meet her mom. He's dad had left his mom after his younger brother, Edious, had gone off to training. And he had a little sister named Martia. His dad's name was Gero, and he remarried a woman by the name of Noria. She had two daughters, and he fell in love with the oldest. Her name was Casea, and her littler sister's name was Elia."

"Derek, did you smoke something before we came here? I would hope so, because that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. There is no way you spacing out for ten minutes gave you this far-fetched flashback."

"Oh, really, Casey? His best friend's name was Samothrace. Can you explain how all the people we know would have just popped up in my mind the way they did?"

"That's not true. Lizzie has nothing to do with the Elia of your flashback."

"Her real name is Elizabeth, is it not?"

"It is. What's your point?"

"Elizabeth and Elia, Edious and Edwin, Martia and Marti, Abigailia and Abby, Samothrace and Sam, Noria and Nora, Gero and George, You and Casea, Derekous and I. Casey they all add up. The only major difference is that my mom left my dad, not the other way around."

"Derek, shut up. I want go home. I don't want to think about your not-flashback. Okay?"

"Fine, _Casea_. Let's go fine our parents."

"Ugh! Derek! I have nothing to do with her," she yelled at him as she started walking toward the exit.

He grabbed her wrist and turned her toward him. "Casey, Casea told Derekous that she would never forgive him if he died when leaving her to fight that creature. He died when she died. He carried her back to Athens and didn't bury her. He simply lay next to her and never woke again. I don't want that. I think that this happened for a reason. I think that we are them. It's the only thing that makes sense. They were in love, but never did anything but spend time with each other."

"Derek, you need to have you head examined," Casey told him.

"No I don't. I know what I saw," he said softly to her. Not even bothering to tell her what he was doing he kissed her softly on the lips. After pulling away he let go of her wrist and went to walk away. She pulled him back.

"Oh no you don't," she said as she pulled him back in for another kiss. He smiled, put his arms around her waist, picked her up, and swung her around. Their souls where finally happy.

---

In the project for my teacher I left it at Casey going to leave Derek. I thought this was a better ending. Tell me what you think. I have so much fun writing this in the first place. My teacher loved it. Mine was the longest myth. We had to have it double spaced, so it was 34 pages. Great right? I wrote a book, according to a lot of people.

I thank those who reviewed. It made me post my chapters that much quicker. And I also thank my godfather for helping me with Sam's Greek name.

Later guys.

~Tori


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